Railway vehicle wheel



Filed May 27', 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet v 0, MJ

Oct 9, 1934- R. E. FISHER 1,975,931

RAILWAY VEHICLE WHEEL Filed May 27,- 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ay/rm/rdf/fiker 5y Afar/24y mama on. 9, 1934 1.915.931 nmwar vsmcm WHEEL BaymondE.Fiaher,ProlpectFu-k,1'a.,a|lignor to General Steel castings Corporation, Granite City, 111., a corporation oi Delaware Application Ma! 27, 1832, Serial No. 613,794

The invention relates primarily to railway locomotive driving wheels although features oi the invention may be used in wheels for other vehicles, and the invention consists in novel construction of a cast metal wheel center which may include the tire or to which a tire of diiIerent material may be applied. As is well known in I the art, such a wheel center includes a mass of material at the hub, the crank pin journal, and

m at'the counter balance, in combination with the use or relatively light spokes which tie these heavy masses to each other and to a relatively light rim. The production of such a structure in cast metal involves problems arising from the flow of metal in the mold, unequal shrinkage of the various parts upon cooling of the metal, and the resistance to stresses created in the operation of the wheels under heavy loads and at high speeds. Y

The main object of the present invention is to simplify and reduce the cost of producing a wheelof this type, and to reduce 'or eliminate the likelihood of defects resulting from the casting 01 wheel centers. j

' This object is attained by the novel h ping of the varlousparts and the manner or their connection with each other as described below and as illustrated in the accomp y drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the invention.

Figures 2 to '7 are transverse sections taken .on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a side view of'another form or the. invention- Figures 9 and 10 are transverse sections on the corresponding section lines of Figure 8.

4 including a web 1 and flanges 2. This section is continued about the crank pin bearing 3. The spokes projecting outwardly from the hub and crank pin bearing are preferably of dumb-bell cros section, each spoke comprising a web 4 with-.bulbous edges '5. The spoke webs 4 merge with the hub web 1 and the bulbous edges 5.01 the spokes merge with the edges oi. the hub The counter balance 6 is disposed diametrical- 1y opposite the crank pin bearing 3 and the edges 7 of the spokes directly opposite the coimter bal ance are or much larger section than the edges of the remaininzspokes whereby the same better-withstands the distorting tendency resulting (0i. ass-e from shrinkage oi the large mass of the metal in the counter balance.

In the construction shown in Figures 8' to 10, the hub 10 is of deeper channel section than in the wheel of Figures 1 to 'l, and the edges 11 or the hub 00 channel are bulbousand of greater thickness than the bulbous edges 12 of the spokes. Preferably, the 'webs 13 or the spokes terminate at points spaced from the hub web, leaving an opening 14 to accommodate shrinkage stresses. The rim 15 is provided with recesses 16 at the ends of the spokes to reduce the mass of material at these points.

In both forms of the invention the webs of the spokes are deeper at the hub than at their ends where they merge with the rim of the wheel center. I

The shaping of the hub and spoke sections as illustrated simplifies the core and molding workand tacili the flow of metal during the pouring or the asting. This shaping also provides a maximum ,amount of strength torthe material used and the wheel is well braced normal to its plane.' The arrangement provides adequate strengthv without excess material and all 01' these advantages may. be retained notwithstanding vaso riations in the details of the structure, and I contemplate the exclusive use of those features of the invention which come within the scope of my claims what is, claimed is: 1. A vehicle wheel center including a hub having a radial section of channel shape, and spokes each having a web-like intermediate part and enlarged bulbous edges, said edges merging with the flanges oi the hub channel.

2. A vehicle wheel center including a hub of channel cross section with its web at the inner The hub of the wheel shown in Figures 1 to Periphery and its flanges 'mendmg Warm '7 has a radial section that is of channel shape therefrom with the edges enlarged to bulb form, there being spokes merging'with and radiating from both flanges of the hub.

3. A wheel center as specified in claim 2 which also includes spokes of dumb-bell crosssection with their edges mergingwith the edges or said hub flanges.

4. A wheel center as specified in claim 2 which ,7 also includes spokes o1 dumb-bell cross section with their edges merging with the edges of said hub flanges and with their webs disposed transversely of the plane of the wheel center, the inner ends or said spoke webs being spaced from the web of the hub channel.

5. In a locomotive driving wheel center, a central mass comprising an axle hub and a driving pin bearing merged with each other, the entire 1 0 annular periphery of said mass including radially extending flanges, and spoke elements extending radially from the outer edges of said flanges.

radially of the hub, andspokes of dumb-bell cross section with their edges merging with the hub channel flanges and with their webs terminating at a point spaced from the hub channel web.

8. A vehicle wheel centercast structure including spokes, each comprising a relatively thin weblike intermediate part and edges enlarged to bulbous form for molding and strengthening purposes.

9. A vehicle wheel center cast structure including a hub of channel section with the edges or its flanges enlarged for molding and strengthening purposes, and spokes radiating from said enlarged -edges. 10. A vehicle wheel center cast structureinclud ing a hub having rib-like parts in difierent planes paralleling the general plane of the wheel center, the edges of said parts being enlarged tor molding and strengthening purposes, and ribs radiating from said parts.

11; A wheel center structure including a hub having a channel periphery with radial flanges,

and spokes each comprising a web-like central part terminating at a point spaced from the web portion of said hub periphery and enlarged edges merging with said hub flanges;

RAYMOND E. FISHER. 

